


the logistics of stealing an otter

by narukamiyu



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Aquariums, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-11 11:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19927231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narukamiyu/pseuds/narukamiyu
Summary: “They are like water puppies,” Goro murmured to himself, and Ren gave him an amused look.Goro and Ren go on an aquarium date.





	the logistics of stealing an otter

**Author's Note:**

> fic for stevie! <3

The line was unbearably long with the heat of the sun beating down on their backs, and Goro felt the default smile on his face twitch as grown man behind him started hollering. Was such obnoxiously loud yelling in a public space really necessary?

“Are you okay, babe?”

He tried to relax his tense shoulders at his boyfriend’s query. This date may have been Ren’s idea, but Goro still wanted both of them to have fun. “I’ll be fine as soon as we get inside.”

Ren nodded in understanding. “Sorry.”

“...It’s not your fault. Don’t apologize.”

After a few painfully long minutes, their part of the line finally entered the inside of the aquarium. The air conditioning was _divine._ He let his eyes close in appreciation of the cool air blasting at his face, only to open them again when Ren started snickering.

“What’s so funny?” he asked suspiciously, but Ren just smiled at him.

“You’re cute.”

“Of course I am. Would you go out with me otherwise?”

His boyfriend pretended to look offended. “I’m not that shallow. Besides, you have a...great personality.”

Goro almost snorted at that. Ren of all people should know better. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“Actually, I’ve found that it gets me a lot of things with you,” Ren pointed out. Goro chose not to reply; it wasn’t his fault that Ren was good at boosting his ego. It was just as well, considering the line started moving more quickly - there must have been a large group that just finished buying tickets. Soon enough, they were in front of a kiosk, giving each other a pointed look.

“I’m paying,” Goro said simply, but Ren just shook his head.

“I suggested this date, so I’m paying.” Before Goro could argue, Ren quickly shoved his card into the reader and shot him a grin. The bastard.

“I’m getting you back for this,” he warned, and Ren looked at him incredulously.

“For spending money on my darling boyfriend? That’s harsh.” Even so, he linked his arms with Goro’s and led him to the front, the tickets held in his other hand.

After passing through the gate, they exchanged a glance. Ren nodded at the section with the whale sharks, and Goro smiled.

“You know me so well.”

Whale sharks were so _majestic._ They were the biggest fish in the sea yet still quite gentle...such admirable creatures. He told Ren as such, and his boyfriend just smiled and pointed at the giant tank in front of them. There they were...his favourites. The were slowly gliding through the water, not a care in the world. 

“Whale sharks have a lifespan of seventy to one hundred years,” he said. “And they have about three thousand small teeth.” 

Hearing Ren chuckle, Goro turned his head to give him a questioning look. And when he leaned in for a kiss...well, what could he do but kiss him back?

“I love you,” Ren murmured. “I love seeing you be passionate about these things.”

Goro felt his face become warm, but it was in a good way. “Well, I’m happy to share this with you.” And that was the truth; Goro was _happy._ After so long, it seemed that he’d finally found some peace in his life. There were moments when he was hesitant to accept his fortunate fate, but his hard-earned bonds with the former Phantom Thieves helped to alleviate the doubts. 

He found himself walking hand-in-hand with Ren until they ended up in front of the beluga whales, and the way that Ren’s face lit up as he watched them dance in the water was incredibly sweet. His eyes followed one of them as it got closer to them before swimming away at a leisurely pace. “Do you like them?” he asked, though it was a pointless question.

“Yeah,” Ren said simply. “I remember my parents taking me to the aquarium when I was young. I was fascinated by the belugas.” He smiled sheepishly. “They told me not to tap on the glass, which makes sense.”

Goro stared at him thoughtfully. Ren didn’t talk about his parents much, but it was clear that he loved them to a great degree. “I’d like to meet them someday, if that would be all right.”

Ren looked back at him, pleased. His eyes had widened slightly. “Of course. I think they’d love you.”

 _I hope so,_ Goro thought. Meeting the parents of one’s significant other was an important affair, was it not? Goro stubbornly refused to consider his poor excuse for a father; every encounter between him and Ren had been disastrous and should not be counted.

After a moment of rumination, Ren tugged at Goro’s arm. “Hey, I have to show you the otters. They’re the _best_.” His boyfriend’s excitement was contagious, and they hurried past the crowd to look for said mammals. And when they found them, Goro found himself getting choked up.

They were the cutest things he’d ever seen.

“I want one,” Ren whispered to him, and he could only nod. They were _cuddling._ Even drenched in water, their fur looked incredibly soft. 

“They are like water puppies,” Goro murmured to himself, and Ren gave him an amused look.

“We can’t steal them from here,” he admonished, and Goro huffed in mock offense.

“Who do you think I am, _you_?” Of course they couldn’t steal the otters. They had no way of taking care of the creatures…

If they _did_ , that would be a different story.

One of the otters splashed into the tank, streaking through the water with adorable grace. Ren sighed deeply, watching it loop around. “I wish I could swim that well.”

Goro looked at him strangely; as far as he knew, Ren could swim. As if his boyfriend had read his mind, Ren gave him an obvious look. “I _can_ swim. But you know...it’d be nice.”

“I suppose. But you just want to show off, don’t you?” When Ren shrugged innocently, he lightly pushed him. “The stars of _this_ show are the otters. So pay attention.”

“How can I when my boyfriend is distracting me so well?” Ren said smoothly. Goro simply turned away to face the tank and smiled pleasantly.

“I’ll just ignore you, then.”

...He couldn’t help but catch the fake wounded look that Ren gave him. It was so fun to rile him up. Regardless, he didn’t protest when Ren slipped his hand into Goro’s and squeezed lightly. Nor did he let go as they continued through the aquarium, from one tank to another filled with various kinds of fish. 

They even saw _piranhas_. The ferocious fish were quite a sight, especially when feeding. He was sort of surprised when Ren turned to him and asked, “Do you think that they have piranha plushies in the gift shop?”

“I’d have expected you to want something cuter, but you probably think they _are_ cute.” Goro sighed fondly. “We can look. If not, we could each get an otter.”

Ren’s eyes lit up at that suggestion, and he started pulling Goro to the gift shop, which was fine with him. They had seen pretty much every corner of this place anyway. Time had passed surprisingly fast.

The gift shop was small but full of curious knick knacks. Goro found himself wandering from aisle to aisle, admiring the aquatic-themed mood rings and long, white socks with dolphins printed on them. When Ren called his name, he looked up. 

He was holding up a necklace with a shark tooth on it. There was a wide grin on his face, and Goro couldn’t help but return it. “You want to get matching ones? In addition to the otters?” When his boyfriend simply nodded, he laughed lightly. “Your friends will tease us, you know.”

“ _Our_ friends,” Ren corrected. “And let them! We’ll tease them back when they get partners of their own. I bet you they’ll be cheesier than us.”

Goro felt...warm. That was an option now, wasn’t it? To joke around with his _friends_. People who wouldn’t glare at him as if he’d stepped out of line, as if he had wronged them in a way they could never forgive. 

No, that time had long passed. The looks they gave him now were kind - and they weren’t full of pity, either. He got the feeling that they knew he would hate that. After all, each one of them had suffered from unfair hands dealt by adults and forces beyond their control. They were...kindred spirits.

But there was another time and place for such heavy thoughts, even though they weren’t necessarily bad. Right now, there was fun to be had and business to be taken care of. Goro nodded at the necklace and smiled at Ren. “Let’s get some other goods, too. They’ll be gifts for the others.”

Based on Ren’s happy hum of agreement, he had made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> i went with...tatsujun as ren's parents ^^


End file.
